Tag Archives: WGCU
WLRN Named Station of Year by Broadcasters
WLRN in Miami was named Overall Station of the Year by the Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists during its annual awards ceremony in Orlando this weekend.
The station also won first place awards for Breaking News and Education Reporting (Series).
It shared a first place award with WJCT in Jacksonville for producing the statewide public affairs program, The Florida Roundup. The program is hosted by WLRN’s Tom Hudson and WJCT’s Melissa Ross.
It also shared first place awards with WUSF in Tampa/St. Pete for Series (Franchise-Hard) and Feature Reporting (Cultural & Historic).
WLRN’s Leslie Ovalle won an individual award for producing.
“The work by WLRN and all of the public radio stations in Florida is remarkable,” said Patrick Yack, executive director of Florida Public Media.
“It is deeply satisfying to see them recognized by these awards.”
WLRN also was part of a statewide news initiative, Class of COVID-19, which won a first place award for Digital Programming. Stations throughout the state contributed to the initiative.
WUSF won numerous first place awards including:
Best Radio Newscast, Continuing Coverage, General Assignment Reporting,
General Assignment Reporting (Long), Series (Franchise Light), Feature Reporting (Hard), Use of Sound, Online/Digital, Sports Reporting,
Investigative Reporting, Investigative Reporting (Series), Health Reporting (Single) and Health Reporting (Series).
Kerry Sheridan of WUSF won an individual award for reporting. WUSF also was part of the Class of COVID-19 project.
Other first place award awards won by Florida public radio stations included:
Climate/Environmental Reporting (Single). WMFE. Orlando.
Environmental Reporting (Series). WUWF. Pensacola.
Consumer, Financial, Economic Reporting. WUFT. Gainesville/Ocala.
Series/Franchise (Hard). WUFT.
Feature Reporting (Light). WGCU. Ft. Myers/Naples.
Weather Reporting. WFSU. Tallahassee.
Political/Government/Election Reporting (Single). WMFE.
Political/Government/Election Reporting (Series) WUWF.
FPM Elects Mullins Chair, Grove Vice Chair, Adds McGowan
The board of Florida Public Media elected David Mullins, General Manager, WFSU Public Media, as its new chair in a special election. Mullins succeeds Phil Hoffman, former Executive Director of WUCF-FM/TV (Orlando).
The board also added David McGowan, President and CEO of WJCT Public Media (Jacksonville) as its At-Large member of the Executive Committee.
Other members chosen for the Executive Committee include:
- Vice Chair. Paul Grove. President and CEO. WEDU-TV. (Tampa-St. Petersburg)
- Treasurer. Amy Shumaker, Associate General Manager – Content, WGCU-FM/TV (Ft. Myers/Naples)
- Secretary. Chris Puorro, Station Manager of WQCS-FM (Ft. Pierce)
- Immediate Past Chair. Randy Wright, Executive Director, WUFT-FM/TV(Gainesville/Ocala)
Florida Public Media (FPM) is the organization of 24 public radio and public television stations in the state. The stations broadcast programming by NPR and PBS, and a wide range of news, public affairs, and music programs.
TV members provide the main distribution of The Florida Channel, and radio members serve as the backbone of the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network (FPREN).
FPREN is headquartered at WUFT on the campus of The University of Florida in Gainesville.
FPM is the state’s leader in educational programming and emergency communications.
Florida Broadcasters Name WUSF News The 2020 Radio Station Of The Year
WUSF News was named radio Station of the Year by the Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists for its journalism produced during 2020.
The team also collected six other first place awards (General Assignment, General Assignment (Long), Education (Single), Health Reporting (Single), Political, Government, Election Reporting (Single), and Political, Government, Election Reporting (Station) in the contest that includes commercial and public media broadcasters from across Florida.
Other Florida public radio stations won numerous first place awards, including:
WLRN – Miami. Continuing Coverage, Team Coverage, Series (Light), Series (Franchise), Feature Reporting (Cultural & Historical), Investigative Reporting, Individual Achievement (Writing), Individual Achievement and (Digital Journalist).
WGCU – Ft. Myers/Naples. Feature Reporting (Hard), Sports Reporting, and Traffic Reporting.
WMFE – Orlando. Digital Programming, Public Affairs, and Health Reporting (Series).
WFSU – Tallahassee. Environmental Reporting (Series), and Use of Sound.
WUFT – Gainesville/Ocala. Feature Reporting (Light).
General Manager of WGCU, Rick Johnson, to retire
FORT MYERS, FLORIDA – WGCU General Manager Rick Johnson recently announced his intention to retire from that post on June 1, 2021.
Johnson’s career in broadcast media spans 52 years, with four decades and eight sets of call letters to his credit before he joined WGCU as GM 12 years ago.
In an email to staff and the WGCU Public Media Advisory Board Oct. 6, Johnson outlined his immediate and continuing vision for WGCU as assuming a greater role as the media outlet of record and public interest journalism in Southwest Florida.
Johnson’s tenure in public media includes PBS stations in Seattle and Albuquerque, followed by deep ties to Florida stations. Since January 1991, he has been involved with virtually every aspect of public media in Florida, in Tallahassee and Jacksonville prior to Southwest Florida and WGCU.
“Rick Johnson is one of public media’s outstanding leaders – not just in Florida but everywhere he has served,” said Patrick Yack, executive director, Florida Public Media. “He has been a thoughtful, engaging and inspiring member of the Florida Public Media Board and he was an exceptional chair. Always dedicated to our mission, Rick has left an indelible mark on our craft and our profession.”
“Southwest Florida WGCU members have benefited from his vision and the execution of the outstanding team he assembled,” said advisory board chair Judy Bricker. “The station has realized its potential with Johnson at the helm and will now reach to a new and higher set of goals thanks to his continued vision.”
“Rick’s depth of experience will be sorely missed at WGCU, but he well deserves the time to begin his next chapter,” said Katherine (Kitty) Green, FGCU vice president, University Advancement, and executive director, FGCU Foundation.
A national search will ensue for his replacement.
Johnson concluded his announcement with this: “In addition to it having been an honor and a privilege it has also been a pleasure to work alongside all of you through the proverbial thick and thin to make WGCU one of the most successful, most-watched, most-listened-to, and most-well-supported public media organizations in the country.”
About WGCU
WGCU is Southwest Florida’s source for PBS and NPR. A member-supported service of Florida Gulf Coast University, WGCU provides educational programming that inspires, informs and engages our community. Serving all or part of 12 counties in south and Southwest Florida, with five distinct digital TV channels, two FM radio channels, two HD radio channels, and multiple websites, WGCU delivers national and international programming, and develops, produces and delivers relevant, informative and educational local programs to the region. More information about WGCU is available online at WGCU.org, and by following us on Facebook at wgcupublicmedia, on Twitter @wgcu and Instagram @wgcupublicmedia.
